Jesus' parable of prodigal son made into movie

Just in time for Father’s Day, one of the greatest father-son stories ever told will be coming to the silver screen.

In the Bible’s Book of Luke, Chapter 15, Jesus told the parable of a son who demanded his inheritance from his father, then left home and squandered it all. The great twist of the tale is that when the boy comes home, the father runs to meet him with open arms and celebrates the son who was as dead, but is now alive. The father’s reaction is so unexpected, in fact, the faithful, older son is stunned by the father’s forgiveness.

Now the timeless tale is being told again – the same characters, the same moral, the same stunning forgiveness – but in a modern setting that makes the parable immediately relevant to today’s audiences.

Debuting in theaters May 16 and on DVD June 3, “A Long Way Off” from Word Films, ProdigalFilm and Uptone Pictures is more than entertainment, but a movie with a message.

“We made ‘A Long Way Off’ to bring to remembrance the oft-forgotten fathers,” Executive Producer Gerald McGlothlin told WND. “In a lost world that sometimes puts youth on a pedestal, we must not forget that behind millions of successful young men and women is a loving father. It is our hope that by watching this movie, many estranged sons and daughters will do as our lead character ultimately does: return home to reconcile with both their earthly and heavenly Father.”

There’s no question Christian audiences watching “A Long Way Off” will recognize the familiar key elements of Jesus’ parable, but that doesn’t mean the movie is inherently religious or “preachy.”

“The story of the prodigal son is not unique to any religion,” Producer and Director Michael Davis told the Raleigh News & Observer. “I’ve always been drawn to that story because it’s universal, and stories that are universal can appeal to many different people on many different levels.”

In fact, the slogan for the film is, “We all know one, have been one, or are waiting for one to come home.”

The film’s cast includes, among others, Robert Davi (from “Goonies,” “Die Hard” and James Bond’s “License to Kill”), Edie McClurg (known from “Ferris Buehler’s Day Off”) and two actors from the hit Christian film “Courageous,” Robert Amaya and Rusty Martin, and stars Jason Burkey from the film “October Baby.”

Fox News Channel and syndicated radio host Sean Hannity, who also makes a brief appearance in the film, testifies, “We need great faith and family films like ‘A Long Way Off.'”

See a trailer for the film below:

According to McGlothlin, the film’s release right before Father’s Day is particularly poignant.

“There have been countless studies that show having a loving father in a home provides children with far better shot at succeeding in life,” McGlothlin told WND. “Overflowing prisons attest to the sad state of growing up without a father or being estranged from a father.

“We are releasing our film shortly before Father’s Day with the hope that many will return home to their fathers,” he continued, “We hope many sons and daughters take their fathers to see this film. We hope many fathers take their sons and daughters to see ‘A Long Way Off.'”

To that end, McGlothlin’s Moving Visions is coordinating with churches across the country to conduct screenings in conjunction with the theatrical release. Churches interested in hosting a screening should contact Moving Visions through its website.